Road sign or signal



NV- .20; 1945. R. T. HARRISON ROAD SIGN 0R SIGNAL Filed July 24, 1942 2 sheets-smet 1 @GEERT IHAHP/So/v Nov. 20, 1945. R. T. HARRISON ROAD SIGN OR SIGNAL iled July 24, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 20, 1945 UNITED mrunix 4' Claims.

This inventionrelates.I to road` signsJ on' signals and-` more: particularly to that. classi of? signs: i111' which reflectonunits` are.' rendered?. Visibleffatv nightl by reliectedz light forwarning. motoristss that; the driven mustnv turn to the-right'r or leftt ori is: ape' proachinga bridge,4 sharp turnini the; road; or: other hazardsin the path ofztravel.

The objecti of the invention iste; provide anroad:

signaler sign of simple;and:inexpensive-fconstrue:F tion in which. the f reflectorl units; are ret'anedf in' position onthef'acefplate ofthersign byindividu al embossedretaining membersforA collarssentirelyf surrounding; and engaging` the: marginal edges of: the reectorrunits.

As further Objectis to form:v the inner faceaofi each. embossed:- collar; at thef outer o'rr free: lends thereof, with, an; inwardly.l extending.: locking-- ange.. shapedv to conformz toa-ndzoverlapftlre; annular bead of the adjacent reector uniintheref-` by to lock said reflector unitl against accidental displacement'. Y

A further object1 is to'provide:a1ref1ectonunitz mounting which*` canibe used: with equally' goodf results: on any.)` type-of warning; sign or signal and; used, either with or, Without: abacking plate for engagementwithfsaidireflectorunits;-

fir-further object is to: provide anfembo'ssedrreflIleotorl unit mounting thatlcan be; embodied in.l the-pivot links: of. a sign: forming chain*l andxfur I therk to provide onefof: the :flinkstof the clfiainwith`A an auxiliary pivotear so -a's to `permitithe chain to be used for forming certain lettersy or fashioned intoan'ydesired; shape;

A: still` further" object oftheinvention is gener.- ally to improve. this-.class of. devices soas tellin;

crease? their: utility; durability and: eilciency as Well as to reduce the cost ofmanufacture.v

In the :accompanying drawings t Figure 1. isa frontzelevationofa road'sign or signale1nbodying.the:presentinvention- Figure12 is aside elevation.

Figure 3- is'` an` enlarged detail sectional. Viewy through .one ofy theV reflector units; and itsfassociA atedpartslshowing, the manner of mounting-salda Figurel A 6 is; a' vertical 4sectional l View illustrating:

a modifiedlformof the. invention.

Figure'is :afront'eleVation thereof. n

FigurerSf is; a vertical sectional @View illustra-tinga further modication.`

FigurQfiszafrontrelevationthereoni niguna 1or af. nona view or a: dispar@ maar showing: the@ reflector; uriitsoA mounte'dz, in?. positionv thereon.'K

Figure 1:1 is-zazverticali sectional View ontlneslirief |'-`-Illiof'1?igurez10. v y

Figure: 12'? iss'asfrnnt elevatiomofa siam forming"l cliairr,L thelinkslof: Whichaare: provided with ein-- bossed collars fori mountingf the:y reflector' units.` thereni v Eigure 1Bl isc a2y verticali. sectionalaviewi on the: line: lr3-l3 OfLFiglIe: 21:22

Figure 1451s a-perspective vievw of one Hnksdetachedl. Y

Figurer 15f isf a; detailfl sectional'- View showingI 155 thefpivotrpinsi of; the,"linkshollowrtofpermit their passagegof:fasteninggdevioesfy The? improvedi road signonr signal-.f forming.: the: subjieclnrnatterrof4 the;presentinventiorii.comprisesg ay f aoeeplatepfpreferably; formed ofy metal ofr anyv desiredflength; Width and?thickness;isaidwplatefliei ing secured atpredetermined.- pointsstoT ai backing? strip Yli'by means: of bolts-a orwsimilar fastening x d'evicesindicemedf.ati1;4V Thefplateiiscutforpunchedi tof` f orm' af plurality? oi`. vertically-v aline'df openings,7 251 8.1 andfy the: metal t constituting;- the Walls,K of: said`l openings. i'svpressedz out-ward]yrto?L forni? embossed. reta-ining collars; fdeiiningi; sockets? |411 fon thee-re. ception of reflector units or buttonsfindicateda? Hi` Theu reflector unitsf or. buttons-are. of; standard' construction@ and: each comprises: a :lens portion I2: ttediF inra concave-converti backing. holder I 3: thefmarginalledge ofr Which-iisapressed .around.the: lens: |2=1 to forma retaining.. beadA I4.- The(L re`fflwector unitsaree formed of, plastic material-- pos-` sessing optica1i-properties,, the outerf face y of. the-` lens;` ot each: unitfbeing smooth: andisliglitly` conveX-- and: the inner' facee thereof molded or other-- wisel formeel"A with. pyramidalfshapedf. projections--= constituting a reecting surface, there being; a rubberJ gasket lf2! interposed .between the--lensand backingv holder I3 f forfthe purpose. off preventing the formationzfof. condensationaor moist-ure on the 151Y`r`l tend to interfere-its br-illiancy.` However;

thel outer@Y or, freeend thereof, 5is pressed=,inwardly with a-dieon other: suitablestoolto-formanover hangingfretainingflange l5:- curvedftofconformito theshape of thefbead: r4? to fformiaseatwfon said;` beadfa'nditherebyvpreventaccidentalfdisplacement The inner walL of! each..embossed. col-lar. 9;, at.A

of the reflector unit. It will here be noted that the retaining flange l5 extends entirely around the lens while the outer surface of the collar 9 and said retaining flange gradually merges into In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig# -Y ures 1 to 4 inclusive, the convex side ofthe button holder bears against the adjacent surface of the backing strip 6 so that whenthe face plate, with the reflector units thereon, is positioned against the backing strip and the bolts 'I are tightened, a slight tension will be exerted on the con- Vex portions ofthe holders I3 of the units so as to clampsaid units in engagement with the retaining flanges. As previously stated the outer faces of the reliector units are disposed substan. tially flush with the retaining flanges of the embossed collars 9 so as not to offer any surface obstruction and .thus assist in preventing breakage. It will furthermore be noted that, owing to the depth of the embossed collars 9, should the backing strip 6 warp or otherwise tend to separate frcmthe face plate 5, liability of the reflector unitsworking rearwardly and dropping downwardly between the face plate and backing strip is reduced to a minimum. This objectional feature often occurs where the openings in the face plate are not provided with embossed collars. It. will thus be seen that the embossed collars perform a'three-fold function, namely, first, to reinforce and strengthen the face plate; second, to provide sockets for` the reception of the reflector units; and third, to protect and retain said reflectorunits in position on the face plate.

In'Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings, there is illustrated a modified form of the invention in which the backing member i6 is` in the form of a metal plate secured to the face plate I1 by bolts or rivets I8, and the parts thus secured together being mounted on 'a suitable standard or support i9 by transverse bolts 20.

InV Figures 8 and 9' of the drawings, the face plate Y2l is preferably rectangular in shape and provided with embossed portions 22 fashioned in theform of a letter, there being openings 23 formed in the embossed portion`22 with the walls of said openings embossed to produce retaining collars 24 for the reception of the reflector units or buttons 25. In this form ofthe device, the backing plate is pressed inwardly, at the embossed portions 22, as indicated at 25', for contact with the convex portions of the reflector buttons.

If desired, the face plate may take the outline of a selected letter or number and, in Figures 10 and 11 of the drawings, the plate 26 is made in the form of the letter H having openings formed therein and the metal pressed outwardly to provide retaining collars 2l in which are seated the reflector units or buttons 28. In this'r form of the device, the letters formed with the reflector units or buttons may be secured to aY backing plate by suitable fastening devices indicated at 29.

In Figures 12 to 14 inclusive, there is illustrated a further modilied form of the invention, in whichV the reflector units 3U are fitted within emy bossed collars 30 on links 3| and 32 so as toY form, ln effect, a chain which may be fashioned to produce letters of the alphabet or any other selected design. The links 3l and 32 are provided With laterally extending ears 33, one ear of each link being offset at 34 to accommodate the ear of an adjacent link, and through which links are passed pivot bolts 35 to permit disposing one link at an angle to another.

In order to form certain letters, such as the letters T and L, the top link 32 is provided with an auxiliary pivot ear 36 disposed at substantially right angles to the other ears 33, as best shown in Figure l2 of th'e drawings.

If desired, the links may be pivotally connected vby hollow rivets or eyelets 31 to permit the passage lof bolts or other fastening devices 38 for rmounting the chain on a backing plate or other suitable support. In this case, the links are pivotally and permanently connected by the hollow rivets and after said connected links h'ave been fashioned into a letter or other desired shape, they may be retained in such shape by passing the bolts 38 through the hollow rivets for engagement with' a suitable backing strip or support.

vIn all form of the invention, the face plate is provided with an embossed retaining collar and an inwardly extending locking liange for engagement with a reflector unit. VThe number of reflector units and the disposition of said units with respect to the face plate may be changed or varied at will, according to the purpose of the sign and th'e conditions under which the sign is used. It will, of course, be understood that the signs or signals may be used on roadways or in any other desired location and thatA said signs may be made in different sizes and shapesand constructed of any suitable material, without departing from the spiritV of the invention.

Having thus described V.the .invention what is claimed is: 1 v

1. 'A sign comprising a base plate provided with an offset socket formed with a circular opening and a flange dening said opening, an annular reflector unit seated in said opening, said reflector unit comprising a lens having a peripheral recess cut out of the periphery thereof, thereby forming an annular iiange larger in diameter than said circular opening, a cup-shaped backg ing holder having the concave side outermost,

and an annular bead carried by said holder en-v compassing said second'iiange, said bead bearing against such first flange and said rstflange seating in said recess. Y

2. A sign as set forth in claim 1 including a, backing member bearing against the rear face of said base plateand against the concave surface of said holder, and means securing saidbase plate to said backing member.

3. A sign comprising a supporting member having a circular opening therein the walls of which are pressed outwardly to form a continuous embossed annular retaining collar defining asocket, the'material at the inner wall of the collar adjacent the outer end thereof being pressed inwardly seated in the socket and bearing against said retaining flange, the outer surface of the` retaining flange being disposed substantially flushv with the convex outer face of the reflector unit, said reflector unit including a lens having a'peripheral recess in which said retaining ange is seated, and said re'cess having a depth whereby, the outer faces of said retaining flange and saidlens will be substantially continuous.

4. A sign comprising a face plate having openings formed therein, the Wallsv of which are pressed outwardly to form embossed retaining collars dening sockets, the inner walls of the collars at the outer ends thereof being pressed inwardly to form retaining flanges, reeotor units seated Within the sockets and provided with rearwardly extending concave convex lens holders having marginal lens retaining beads, a backing member secured to the rear of the face plate and bearing against the convex faces of the lens holders for holding the beads in engagement with the retaining flanges and a lens in each holder having a, peripheral recess in which said collar engages said recess forming an annular ange seating in said bead.

ROBERT T. HARRISON. 

